Crystal River current., 1887-03-12

what's the
IA very clever actress" said he,
quite as if she mad not spoken, ''but
hereafter we will have more perfect
understanding, and you need not trou-
BILE yourself
..Why, john" said she, shave YOU
lost your senses?"
mo; on the contrary, 1 have recov-
cred them. am no longer dupe. 1
was fool enough to think you"
| John. for God sake tell me what
this means!'
. "Oh, Mildred! Mildredr' said he,
breaking down utterly. "Why did you
not tell me like an honest woman that
you loved some one elsep"
John. you know. l."
"Stop!" said he. ''Stop! 90 not stain
your soul with any more falsehood
You need not have married me-"
went on the wretched man. God
knows l wish you had not"
/ She tried to put her arms about him
as he paced to and fro in rapid strides,
but he pushed her away angrily. ..No,
no more of that. That has lost its
charm"
Mildred burst into tears.
II ld-haye-believed -
you would dbe-so-so-cruel," sobbed
she. ..What-have done?''
'Done?" shouted the exasperated
man. '.Why, you have spoiled the life
of an honest man, who dotted on YOU,
believed on you-like-a trusting fool
who would have risked his life on your
honesty"
'.Stop!' said Mildred. and she gath
cred herself up to fuller height than
Johns eyes had ever before beheld in
her. She too was angry now.
"1f You have charges to make 1 de-
mand that they be definite, and not in
base innuendo You are very cruel and
and also very insulting to me. ! shall
not remain in this house tonight, nor
return to it until you have apologized."
And she swept from the room and from
Johns astonished sight
A moment later he heard the messen-
ger call, then heard his wife give an or
der far cab. then saw her packing q
handbag. He intended doing the same
things himself. But somehow having
her do them was infinitely harder to
bear
Mildred was very angry. "Not
thing of his she said to herself as
she stripped off her rings and gathered
her trinkets. my purse. too" she
thought and went to the desk to find it.
Her husband had been watching for
this. He knew she would try to secure
that letter.
''Ah," said he, '.you are a little too
late. You should have thought of that
| before"
These. to his unmeaning words, ut
tered with much concentrated tterness
made her seriously doubt his sanity. She
looked at him curiously. How else
could she constrne the incomprehensi-
bic fury? She pursued, the thought
had calmed the resentment. She went
to his side, placed her hand kindly on
his arm. MY dear John.' said she,
will yon explain to me what all this
meansp"
He felt touched. and oh, how he
longed to take her to his heart; but
that could never be again.
''Will you first explain to me- he
answered. trying to be hard and cold,
''explain to me where you were yester-
dayP"
Certainly he is mad," she thought
and she tried to be very calm.
"Ah, yes," lie went on. "You can
look very innocent but. woman, look
at that, and with tragic gesture he
held up the paper.
Mildred looked at it bewildered; then
she read, Dear Frank A gleam of
light came into her face, and gradually
deepened into an expression Of interest
and amusement. She understood it
all.
John looked to see her crushed, de-
sparing and penitent; and instead he
witnessed this unaccustomed, this ex-
traordinary. change; and laughter-peal
after peal of silvery laughter-rang
through the rooms. She tried to speak,
but could not.
John in his turn began to think that
she was mad.
At last, with tears rolling down her
cheeks, not from grief this time, she
said:
'Oh, you dear sillv-silly thing. Oh,
you dear goose-that's my story-and l
was going to surprise you-and bring
you ever-cver so much money-and
now you have gone-and spoiled"
and here she began to cry in earnest.
''And--you-have- ve-sad-such-crue
Cruel
Her sobs. together with Johns great
enfolding arms, stitied the rest. "Oh,
my angel, my angel. have been such
a brute. Can you ever forgive mep"
That was what John said; but this
pen refuses to attempt the portrayal of
what he felt. He had been willing
and loving slave before. and. now he
was in addition penitent and crest
fallen one besides. And SO his chains
were riveted anew.
As limited before. John had u profess
sional character quite distinct from his
domestic one. This quality affords a
much needed outlet to perturbed spir-
its; hence as he turned towards his of
flee the next morning an ominously
stern look came into his face.
The unfortunate man whose first
book he reviewed that day never sus-
pectcd that the average criticism which
very nearly threw him into nervous
fever, and quite into despair. was al
most entirely inspired by the misadven-
| Il